Successfully creating want is one of the keys to being a good salesman. In order to ensure a sale you need to identify the customer’s needs in order to create the want for your product. Facts, proof, testimonials, etc., create want in the customer. As a good salesman you have to identify the things that cause want in that specific customer.

Don’t confuse want with need. No one needs your product. For example if your selling life insurance, realize their need is not for your particular insurance, Their need is for insurance in general, so you have to make them want your insurance package. Same goes for selling vacuums, their need is to get the dust mites out of the carpet, not for the vacuum.

Correctly identifying a customers needs is a must to create sufficient want. After identifying their need, explain to them how your product will fill that need. The more needs you fill, the more want the customer has for your product. This is part of the cut the crap technique.

Every fact you give that applies to the customer, creates want for your product. For example, I would tell the customer that my vacuum picks up 98% of the dirt. The fact is people want as much dirt out of their carpet as possible. This fact created additional want in the customer. Another fact is that dust mites cause health problems such as; asthma attacks, allergies, and damages the lungs. I would inform the customer that my vacuum would get rid of all the dust mites in their carpet. By identifying the need to get rid of the dust mites, I created great want for my product.

Testimonials are also a great tool for creating want. Tell the customer a few short stories about other people who have had success with your product. When I worked for Kirby I would tell this story to potential customers:

Salesman: I remember Ms. Anthony had just about had it with carpet. She loved carpet, but she could not keep it as clean as she would like to. She was taking out a loan to rip up all the carpet and replace it with hardwood floor. This was going to cost many thousands of dollars. I showed her the machine and she fell in love with it. I talked to her not to long ago and she told me she loves the machine and it saved her from having to go in debt to replace her carpet.

Testimonials will create want in the customer. Let them know that other people are using it and having success. Most people aren’t innovators, they are followers. They will only buy your product if it is proven successful for other people. You have to be an infomercial. Previous customers can’t be in the house or on the phone with your potential customer, so you have to give their testimonial for them.

There are indicators a customer gives when you have created enough want for them to buy. Many times they will ask “How much does this cost again”. Usually at this point I cut my pitch short and go in for the close. At this point their emotions are probably racing and they are ready to buy, and as I stated earlier, when the emotions are high ask to buy.